Get a head start on your holiday shopping and help support several worthy causes at the same time. Here are a few of the items that will be available:

Hand-Crafted Wood Products -- Last year we quickly sold out of our supply of bowls, etc. made by Gene Hintze who lives in North Carolina. So this year we have expanded the variety and doubled our inventory. As you will see, each item is unique and very affordable ($20 to $75).

This is a sample of what will be on display:

  • Hand-turned wood bowls. Assorted sizes and shapes in magnolia, ambrosia maple, cherry, walnut, pecan, sycamore, and others.
  • Cutting boards in a variety of woods
  • Potpourri bowls in maple burl and cherry
  • Lazy Susans in domestic and exotic woods
  • Platters and Calabash bowls

African Baskets and Jewelry -- See our large collection of baskets handwoven by women of Kenya, Africa. The colorful baskets are signed by the weavers, and 80% of the proceeds will be donated back to them.

  • Colorful hand-woven baskets
  • Necklaces and earrings

Twenty per cent of the proceeds will benefit two Madison Breakfast Rotary projects: Books for the World and Rotary Youth Exchange.

This has been a record year for the Wisconsin Operation of Books for the World as we have shipped 12 semi-truck loads of books for schools in developing countries. Each shipment from Madison costs $2,850, so fund-raising is an essential part of this very successful and locally-supervised program.

Youth Exchange gives local and international students and opportunity to experience the traditions and customs of other countries with the hope and expectation that this knowledge will lead to better understanding and world peace. Madison Breakfast Rotary sponsors both outbound and inbound students every year.

In addition to the 20% for the book project and youth exchange, the remaining 80% of the proceeds from the African basket and jewelry sales will be returned to the women weavers.